New York Restaurants - Restaurant News March 2012 Archive

Keep abreast of what's going on in New York here at Gayot. You can learn all you need to know about new restaurant openings, special events, and more. The information you need on restaurants in New York is here.

RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

The team behind the Frankies restaurants has shut down the Lower East Side Frankies 17 and opened up a Spanish restaurant, Francesca, in its place. The menu of small plates includes a large selection of Basque pintxos. Francesca, 17 Clinton St., New York, NY 10002, 212-253-2303.

Named for the hotel in which it is housed (which is named for the neighborhood they're both in), NoMadis the latest venture from chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park. The menu is inspired by Humm's time spent in California, Switzerland and New York City. NoMad, 1170 Broadway, New York, NY 10001, 212-796-1500.

Matthew Lightner, who manned the stoves at Portland's Castagna, cooks up a nightly ten-course, $150 tasting menu at the new Atera. The menu is Scandinavian based and features fresh herbs. Atera, 77 Worth St., New York, NY 10013, 212-226-1444.

Sartorialist and former New York Knicks player Clyde Frazier has opened an eponymous eatery, Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine, located a few blocks from Madison Square Garden. Former Chanterelle chef/owner David Waltuck has designed a menu that makes haute versions of classic pub grub. Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine, 485 Tenth Ave., New York, NY 10036, 212-842-1110.

Lotus Blue features a modern twist on the cooking of Yunnan province in China. The menu changes frequently but might include dishes such as banana blossom and mango salad, grilled lemongrass baby back ribs, and crisp-fried red snapper with chili sweet and sour sauce. Lotus Blue, 110 Reade St., New York, NY 10013, 212-267-3777.

In the old Savoy space in SoHo comes Back Forty West, an outpost of Peter Hoffman's Back Forty. The meaty menu is similar to that of the original concept. Back Forty West, 70 Prince St., New York, NY 10012, 212-219-8570.

Dans Le Noir, or Dining in the Dark, has finally turned off its lights. And by that we mean fired up its burners and opened for business. The menu is all about "surprise" and guests are encouraged not to wear elegant clothing. Dans Le Noir, 246 W. 38th St., New York, NY 10018, 212-575-1671.

A spin-off of The Burger Bistro in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, The Burger Bistro Park Slope opens up in the brownstone-laden neighborhood with a similar mix-and-match menu as the original. The Burger Bistro Park Slope, 177 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217, 718-398-9800.

News
Bytes

Torrisi on the Rise Mulberry Street restaurant Torrisi Italian Specialties has raised the price of its fixed-price options. The four-course menu is now $65 and the 20-course is $150. The reason for the price hike? The chefs say higher quality ingredients. Torrisi Italian Specialties, 250 Mulberry St. , New York, NY 10012, 212-965-0955.

Airport EatsLaGuardia Airport is about to get a slew of new restaurants --- and from an all-star cast of chefs. It's been reported that Michael White (Marea), Andrew Carmellini (Locanda Verde), Aaron Sanchez (Paladar), Anne Burrell, and even TV travel/food show host Andrew Zimmern will open up restaurants in terminal 3 in the upcoming months.

Five Napkin Square The city has chosen the team behind 5 Napkin Burger to operate a restaurant in the Union Square Pavilion, the structure that sits on the north end of the square near the farmers market. The restaurant will feature seasonal and, naturally, market-driven dishes. 5 Napkin Burger, 630 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10036, 212-757-2277.

Chef Shuffle

Three-month-old King, located on King Street and Sixth Avenue, is already looking for a new chef. Francis Derby is out and the restaurant's sous chef is taking over for now.

Julian Jouhannaud is the new chef at Adour Alain Ducasse. He was previously the top toque at Adour in Washington, DC. Adour Alain Ducasse, The St. Regis Hotel, New York, 2 E. 55th St., New York, NY 10022, 212-710-2277.

Closings

The 88-year-old restaurant and bar, Bill's Gay Nineties, located at 57 E. 54th St., has closed.

Bar Basque, the futuristic-looking restaurant inside the Eventi hotel, will close at the end of April. Bar Basque, Eventi, 839 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10001, 646-600-7150.

Ristorante Aglio, the Japanese-Italian hybrid restaurant located in TriBeCa, has shut down after only a few months in operation.

Williamsburg's Santorini Grill, which had a "pay what you will" policy, has closed.

L'Annam, the Vietnamese restaurant on University Place near Union Square, has shut down.

Oliva, the Spanish restaurant on the corner of East Houston and Allen Street, has shut down. Oliva, 161 E. Houston St., New York, NY 10002, no phone.

Bar'rique, the West Village wine bar on Bleecker Street, has shut down. Rumors swirl that the team behind The Spotted Pig and The Breslin Bar & Dining Room may be interested in the space. Bar'rique, 264 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014, no phone.